I'm so darn lazy

sejanus (Gavin) · #1 26-02-2007, 04:43 PM

Setting up my gear is such a pain in the butt.

I love it when it's all setup and running but setting up the eq6, the weights, the head, aligning it, the scopes, the batteries - by the time I have the baby ready to roll the clouds have moved in!

And thats before plugging camera(s) on, drift aligning, laptop connection, focus tests etc.!

As much as I love imaging I kinda wish at the moment I just had a massive Dob or a lightbridge to just have out in a moments notice because though I got into this with photos in mind, I love looking.

I've already strained a couple of muscles lugging all this gear around though hopefully when I get a buggy thingy from mick that will help

Am I just too lazy/impatient?

ving (David) · #2 26-02-2007, 04:48 PM

sell your scopes, or give the vixen to me....

chunkylad (David) · #3 26-02-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

sell your scopes, or give the vixen to me....

That's a bit mean, isn't it Ving? I'd give at least twenty bucks and a bottle of something nice for the Vixen

.............

That's when I'm glad my glad my 12" Newtonian is mounted on a Dobsonian mount. It's still very frustrating when I set everything up after coming home from work, to find the clouds have rolled in while I've been in the shower though.

I can't imagine how much more frustrating it would be if there was a huge amount of physical effort involved like lugging an EQ6, then the OTA etc etc; then going through the setup routine etc to have the weather turn sour. It'd drive me nuts.

Mind you, when it comes to the having the ability to track and image your targets, it's probably worth it. I'm very happy ATM to be a visual astronomer however!

Thank goodness for my dob

Cheers

leon · #4 26-02-2007, 07:44 PM

It can be frustrating, but it is all worth it when you get that once in a life time shot, I get heaps of practice too.

Cheers Leon

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #5 26-02-2007, 07:51 PM

You need an observatory.
Badly.
I hate the thought that you are not happy with your setup.

casstony · #6 27-02-2007, 09:49 AM

If it can't be set-up within 5 minutes, it's not worth having - and that's an opinion.

RB (Andrew) · #7 27-02-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sejanus

I've already strained a couple of muscles lugging all this gear around though hopefully when I get a buggy thingy from mick that will help

Am I just too lazy/impatient?

I know what you mean Gav, I've got a bad back as you know and a lot of the time I just can't setup because of it. I usually just observe with the guys instead.
I'll have to just be patient until I can build an observatory.

iceman (Mike) · #8 27-02-2007, 11:13 AM

I feel your pain, Gav. I haven't torn any muscles yet, but the time taken to setup at night, leave cooling and get up at 4am hoping it's clear - is a big risk.

If it's cloudy, then spend the next 20 minutes putting it away

I wish I had an observatory or at least a permanent pier, but at this stage it simply won't happen at my current place.

sejanus (Gavin) · #9 27-02-2007, 12:32 PM

yeah it is a pain.

I probably could get an observatory but it would be a bit awkward

I'll see how micks buggy helps things but otherwise I'll look at replanning my gear

astro_nutt · #10 27-02-2007, 01:35 PM

Looking to make an all-aluminium motorized Dob mount complete with setting circles permanately set-up with a roll-off cover...then all I need to do is pop in the tube...and while it cools i'll enjoy a cuppa or two!
Cheers!

ving (David) · #11 27-02-2007, 02:03 PM

... i take it that its a no to giving me your vixen ota then?

sejanus (Gavin) · #12 27-02-2007, 02:05 PM

ving I'll do you a deal. If I win the lottery you can have my Vixen!

ving (David) · #13 27-02-2007, 02:07 PM

well dont just sit there man!!! go buy a ticket

Ric · #14 27-02-2007, 02:17 PM

Hi Sejanus, I sympathise with you. For the last month I haven't even got past setting up the tripod stage let alone the telescope and cables bit.
I'm optimistic again today as there is lots of blue sky around for the first time in ages.

I've probably jinxed myself now.

cheers

leon · #15 27-02-2007, 03:23 PM

Yea Ric, your buggered for tonight, should have said nutin, nutin.

Cheers leon

1crem1 · #16 27-02-2007, 03:30 PM

HI
The hardest thing is setting up: getting the wherewithall to get up off your bum and lug the thing outside. I hadn't done this for about 2 years and a chronic back condition when house guests turn up and one says: "Hey, is this a telescope?". So we lug it outside and have 2 nights of cloud cover; 'twas ever thus. This is an old 8" reflector on a solid wood tripod and a 70s water pipe mount. Maybe I should get a lighter setup.

What I really would like is a refractor; looking through a friend's televue pronto showed terrific contrast. Oh well.

Ric · #17 27-02-2007, 06:18 PM

Hey Leon, the tripod is out and up, it's 50/50 at the moment

but there are big patches of blue.
I'll give it another hour before the wires go out the window.

Forever the optimist

JohnH · #18 28-02-2007, 01:44 PM

again last night....grrrr....but it is that time of year (for Syndney folks anyway) and I 100% sympathise with you Ric, the setup/tear-down astroimaging gig is hard work sometimes...

Here is my recipie for sanity:

Try to avoid gear that is big/heavy, smaller, high quality is better for portable systems (for me anyway)
Be rested/destressed/hydrated/comfortable/fed
Plan your session and problably plan to image just one target.
Leave as much pre assembled as you can carry safely and set up early.
Mark your tripod position, focus and balance points etc so you can carry and plonk your gear and get close to a good setup quickly.
Use a fast polar alignment technique - I use WCS - so it only takes about 10-15 mins to get it good enough.
Only image in really good conditions, use the less good nights for visual observation without the clutter/noise/cables/software getting between you and the universe - I love doing this - no pressure to get a "result"...or to try out new software versions or techniques/gear.
Keep a (simple) log to try to ensure you make new mistakes and avoid repeating the old ones.

Despite all this my setup time is about 45 mins and I do get it wrong, however....

Last night I was quite happy - the clouds rolled just after sunset of course! - but I switched to testing my autoguiding with a new (to me) version of PHD so it didn't bother me too much. And I in doing so found I had a balance issue despite having made what I thought was a careful neutral balance all the way round in both axes. This showed up as run on in RA after release of the slew button.

My mount is quite stiff in RA making balance imprecise but I found I could get a clean stop to a slew by offsetting the counterweight slightly. I did know this is best practice of course - but it was just not possible to achieve such a setup reliably due to the stiff RA axis (unless I grossly unbalanced the mount which brings its own problems)....now I can offset just enough, great. And PHD v1.4 worked a treat too, now I really do need clear skies.

I believe you can always make best use of the conditions - it's just that sometime this is indoors with the wife!!

sejanus (Gavin) · #19 07-03-2007, 03:47 PM

well, I'm 99% decided.I'm gunna buy a lightbridge and revisit imaging down the track

i played with a mates 12" LB the other day and it was nice. I'd prob get the 16 though, it'll still go in the car.

Ric · #20 07-03-2007, 04:47 PM

Geez a 16", that will be nice at a dark sky site

Cheers